New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisupnic Purpink’

ABSTRACT

A new New Guinea  Impatiens  plant particularly distinguished by medium to large, round, cup-shaped, brilliant, rose-red to purple-pink flowers with white eyes, an early to medium flowering response, medium green foliage with short leaves, and a medium to tall plant habit that is round and bushy, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull.

Variety denomination: ‘Fisupnic Purpink’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Fisupnic Purpink’. The newcultivar originated from a hybridization made in the year 2002 inHillscheid, Germany. The female parent was the proprietary New GuineaImpatiens plant ‘K02-1236-1’ (unpatented), while the male parent was theproprietary New Guinea Impatiens plant ‘K02-374-1’ (unpatented). Theseeds produced by the hybridization were sown in a greenhouse inPortugal in the late Fall of 2002. A single plant selection was chosenfor further evaluation and for asexual propagation in April 2003 inMoncarapacho, Portugal.

The new cultivar was created in 2002 in Hillscheid, Germany and has beenasexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissueculture in Moncarapacho, Portugal and Hillscheid, Germany over atwo-year period. ‘Fisupnic Purpink’ has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The present invention has been foundto retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Switzerlandon Mar. 30, 2005 and in Canada on Apr. 20, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Hillscheid, Germany and Langley, BritishColumbia, Canada.

-   -   1. Brilliant, rose-red to purple pink flowers with white eyes;    -   2. Medium to large, round, cup-shaped flowers well above the        foliage;    -   3. Uniform, medium green foliage with relatively short leaves;    -   4. A medium to tall size; round and bushy plant habit; and    -   5. An early to medium flowering response.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new New Guinea Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanyingphotograph which shows overall plant habit including blooms, buds, andfoliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of awhole plant about 13-weeks old, grown in a greenhouse in Hillscheid,Germany, in late Spring.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Fisupnic Purpink’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inHillscheid, Germany. The plant history was taken on 11- to 12-week oldplants which were planted as rooted cuttings in 12-cm pots in lateFebruary 2005, and then grown in a greenhouse at a minimum temperatureof 16° C. Color readings were taken under natural light in thegreenhouse. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart ofThe Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Balsaminaceae.        -   Botanical.—Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull.        -   Common name.—New Guinea Impatiens.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘K02-1236-1’ a proprietary purple-pink            flowered New Guinea Impatiens plant (unpatented).        -   Male parent.—‘K02-374-1’ a proprietary light-pink flowered            with magenta eyes New Guinea Impatiens plant (unpatented).-   Growth:    -   -   Growth and branching habit.—Tall, round and bushy and well            branched; the growth is indeterminate, though weak after the            beginning of flowering.        -   Height.—15.0 cm.        -   Width.—25.5 cm.        -   Propagation.—Terminal tips for cuttings.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—9 to 10 weeks            for a 12-cm pot.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—18 days at 22° C.-   Branches:    -   -   Average number.—4.6.        -   Length of branches.—10 cm to 11 cm.        -   Internode length.—4.0 cm to 6.0 cm.        -   Diameter of branches.—0.6 cm to 0.7 cm.        -   Stem color.—RHS 146C (olive green) at midpoint to RHS 181A            at the tips.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Primarily in whorls.        -   Size.—Length: 11.2 cm. Width: 3.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Margin.—Slightly serrate, ciliated.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Color (mature leaves).—Upper surface: RHS 137B            (medium-green). Lower surface: RHS 138B (light-green).        -   Color (immature leaves).—Upper surface: RHS 137B            (medium-green). Lower surface: RHS 138B (light-green).        -   Texture.—Surface is somewhat slightly glossy, glabrous,            smooth or somewhat rugose.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface: RHS 48A (reddish) mainly near            the base. Lower surface: RHS N60A (dull purple).        -   Variegation.—None.        -   Petioles.—Length: 2.5 cm. Diameter: 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm. Color:            Upper surface: RHS 53A. Lower surface: RHS N60A. Texture:            Glabrous.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Shape.—Ovoid.        -   Size.—Length: 2.3 cm. Diameter: 1.4 cm.        -   Color.—RHS N74A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—9 weeks after planting of rooted cuttings.        -   Inflorescence type.—Flowers appear solitary in the leaf            axils of the upper nodes of the stems.        -   Number of flowers per node.—7 to 9, in various stages of            development.        -   Flowering season.—Indeterminate, continuously from March to            October, depending on light intensity.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms.—Up to 14 days (in a            greenhouse in the Spring at 18° C.).        -   Peduncle.—Color: RHS 184A (dull purple). Size: Length: 5.0            cm to 5.5 cm. Diameter: 0.15 cm. Texture: Glabrous,            flexible.-   Flowers:    -   -   Form of corolla.—Single-type, 5 petals.        -   Shape of corolla.—Nearly round, with the petals overlapping,            slightly cup-shaped. shaped.        -   Corolla size.—Length: 7.2 cm. Width: 6.9 cm. Depth: 1.2 cm.-   Petals:    -   -   Shape.—Cordate, shallow lobes at the top end, top petal            slightly cupped.        -   Apex.—Retuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal size.—Top: Length: 2.9 cm. Width: 5.4 cm. Lateral:            Length: 3.3 cm. Width: 4.3 cm. Lower: Length: 3.3 cm. Width:            4.8 cm.        -   Color.—General color description: Deep purple-pink to            rose-red, white at the base. Upper surface: RHS N57B, later            between RHS N57B and RHS N57C, no markings; RHS 69B to RHS            155D (pale pink to white) near the bases. Lower surface:            From RHS 58B to RHS 58C. Eye Zone: RHS N66B (red-purple),            small.        -   Petal texture.—Smooth.        -   Aspect.—Flat to slightly cupped.-   Spur:    -   -   Shape.—Downwardly curved.        -   Color.—RHS 53B (red-purple) at tip, to RHS 53D (at the            flower end).        -   Size.—Length: 5.0 cm to 6.0 cm. Diameter: 0.3 cm (at the            flower end).-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: 5 fused. Stamen color (upper surface            color): RHS N66C. Anthers: Fused, hooded. Pollen color: RHS            8D (whitish-yellow).        -   Pistils.—Style and stigma: 5, very short, RHS 150D            (pale-yellow). Ovary: 5-celled. Ovary length: 0.5 cm. Ovary            color: Initially RHS 137D (light-green) becoming RHS 139A            (darker green).-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular resistance or    susceptibility has been observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Fisupnic Purpink’ differs from the female parent ‘K02-1236-1’(unpatented) by having a somewhat less deep overall flower color and anearlier flowering response than ‘K02-1236-1’.

‘Fisupnic Purpink’ differs from the male parent ‘K02-374-1’(unpatented), by having a light-pink to rose-red/purple-pink flowercolor, while ‘K02-374-1’ has light pink flowers with magenta eyes.Additionally, ‘Fisupnic Purpink’ has a somewhat tighter plant habit than‘K02-374-1’.

‘Fisupnic Purpink’ differs from the commercial cultivar ‘FisupnicHotpink’ (U.S. Plant Patent Applied for) by having larger flowers of aless bluish hue, with a distinct eye and flatter, less often cup-shapedflowers, and a less vigorous growth habit than ‘Fisupnic Hotpink’.

‘Fisupnic Purpink’ differs from cultivar ‘Fisnics Hot Pink’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 14,811) by having less bluish, more reddish hue of flower colorthan ‘Fisnics Hot Pink’. Additionally, ‘Fisupnic Purpink’ has mediumgreen, while ‘Fisnics Hot Pink’ has dark-green foliage.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant as shownand described herein.